The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Chapter 131: The Expected & Unknown

Chapter 131: The Expected & Unknown

“No, but the question is what to do now, isn’t that right, Al-Roo?”

Al-Roo stood there looking down at me. 

The golden cape of sand that dripped down his back partially folded and covered his arms in a shell of armour. 

“I’m not sure if I believe that statement of yours.” He said, clearly referring to my statement of being told about his role or whatever he was doing down here.

“Dude, you don’t know how much land I’ve searched trying to find anything of importance. I have reached the edge of the damn world. Do you really think I would buy the story that your ‘tribe’ was constantly traversing the lands. That might work with the rest of the Nelatta, but I have explored much bigger worlds before.” I paused for a moment. “So, if the ‘someone told you’ refers to me being told about your fake past, then yes, I was told.”

“...That would be the correct way to assume my role was something more.”

“To be fair, I didn’t expect this whole underground ruin shit or your weird golden sand cape that makes you look like some sort of figure of worship, but I did know you had something to do with how this world functions. To that end–” I pointed at Al-Roo with my spear. “There was never a Kelroo tribe, was there? Maybe long before this world became like this, but as long as the Nelatta have lived in the meraimaka, there has only been one member of this fictional tribe, you.”

Every time a Kelroo tribe member disappeared for years, it was just Al-Roo leaving to continue the act. Then, after a long while, he would return, maybe under a new name. I was misled slightly when I had asked about it before and was told a new one came after a few years, as that information had come from Lu, who had never experienced the process, but in my own time, I had asked Cole-Ra-Cu who had seen the member of the Kelroo tribe before Al-Roo, and he said it was when he was a child, before he left to raise the next generation, and by the time Cole-Ra-Cu was a late adult, the next one arrived. He said the previous Kelroo tribe member was similar to Al-Roo in personality, but their markings were completely different, and their scales were much paler to signify their age. 

He didn’t immediately reply, so I added, “If you already live for multiple Nelatta lifetimes, it isn’t too surprising that you can adjust your appearance to a small degree.”

A large spear of the golden sand formed in his right hand. “Yes, what you said is partially correct, as I’ve misjudged what information you actually know.” When the spear was fully formed, it no longer looked like a construct made of spear but a weapon made of gold. “To that end, I am impressed you managed some of the secrets of me and this dead world.”

“Dead world..?” Something about those words brought fear to my heart. 

“Dead world is what this place of living is.” His words were still not exactly clear for me to understand; apparently, his way of talking wasn’t an act. 

Espr… What is a Dead World…?

I asked the only one who might know the answer to that question. 

(“ It isn’t an objective classification. This Al-Roo has simply stated the fact that this world is dead; it has been dead, but it continues to exist ”)

Al-Roo continued, unaware of the conversation in my head, “Your confusion is unsurprising, but you must know all our worlds die, and this one was no exception, but it managed to exist even after its heart was gone by constantly consuming other worlds. Like what must happen to the world you had existed in.”

Looks like, despite his status… He doesn’t know everything about me either. 

I was still in a spot of bother myself, to put it mildly… I was worried about the mix of information I was receiving. 

Dead world? Consuming of others? There was a big chunk of information I was missing.

(“ Once I said that, the two sides of Existence were. ‘One whose goal was to become the base that would last forever, and another became a new form of creation. Each side lacked what the other had, but neither could complete their goal if they started as one’ ”) 

And the one I lived on was the base that was meant to last forever.

(“ Correct, that means this side has become a new form of creation. In the simplest sense, mana was created and various usages and forms have been created and destroyed, and Existence has recorded it all ”)

Espr…

I contemplated and had a feeling I knew where Espr was leading me. Based on everything Al-Roo has said and Cole-Ra-Cu talks and remnants of lost worlds. 

Are these worlds meant to be some sort of school scene project? Made to pass a test, only to be destroyed once the class is over.

(“ Not an incorrect comparison ”)

I kind of wish she said my guess was wrong.

(“ This side of existence creates worlds that develop at extreme speeds. Some are only filled with monsters, while others create new forms of life and cultures, but they all have expiration dates ”)

How long do these words last?

(“ There is a range, anywhere from a thousand to two hundred thousand years ”)

Earth alone had existed for billions of years, and these worlds didn’t last for a fraction of that time.

(“ I say they develop at extreme speeds, but it does take over a hundred thousand years to develop life, sometimes ”)

So by the time my universe had gained mana, millions of worlds with life on them came to exist and then were destroyed. 

(“ Trillions would be a more accurate range ”)

Oh, fuck the stars… 

That was insane.

So many… people…

So some of these worlds become dungeons.

(“ Partially correct ”)

So do dungeons escape to the other side to keep living?

(“ Don’t give us that much credit ”)

Espr's words held disgust.

(“ I’ve said enough; the rest is your problem ”)

“Sigh…” I wished it was a good opportunity to sit down and process that, but it wasn’t.

One of my Starlight spears formed into a shield that floated around me, and I generated another Starlight coating around my armour. 

I asked, “Well, Al-Roo, I don’t expect you will allow me to take what little this world has to offer then?”

Sand crafted itself into weapons.

“No.”

“Figured as much.”

I called out, “Darragh. It may be best if you run back and either run or barricade yourself somewhere.”

“Huh?!” He yelled as he had barely exited out of the tunnel I had come through.

Sand walkers broke out of the ground around me.

“Bringing more of these idiots out?”

[Hungering Flame]

Fire poured from around me. 

“An attempt to survive from a simple wandering survivor.”

“Oh? Then show me what a king of a dead world can do.”